Nearly a year after the 2020 election, an Iowa man was accused Thursday of leaving two threatening voicemails to officials linked to local election officials and the state attorney general’s office in Arizona. He was arrested, the Department of Justice said.

Mark A. Rissi of Hiawatha, Iowa, was charged with threatening to hang Maricopa County Board of Supervisors member Clint Hickman. Rissi also allegedly left threatening voicemails to employees in the office of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich.

Rissi, 64, was charged with two counts of making threatening interstate communications and one count of making threatening phone calls. Justice Department said.

The case is part of the ministry’s Election Intimidation Task Force, launched in June 2021, and has prosecuted people in a number of states.

Hickman, a Republican who attended then-President Donald Trump’s final rally in the state just days before the 2020 election, was chairman of the Maricopa County Supervisory Board. 2020 election. Joe Biden won by a narrow margin in Arizona.

Rissi is said to have left a voicemail last September accusing Hickman of lying about the fairness of the 2020 election. The Board of Supervisors oversees elections in the county.

“I’m glad you want to stand up for democracy, put your hands on the Bible and say the election was honest and fair,” he said, according to a Justice Department news release. “When we came to lynch your stupid liar Commy [expletive]you will remember that you lied [expletive] Bible, part of you [expletive]you’re gonna die, part of you [expletive]We’re going to hang you we’re going to hang you

The Justice Department, which edited the rant, said the call came three days after cybersecurity firm Cyber ​​Ninja released a partisan review of the 2020 election in Maricopa County, which was ordered by the Republican-controlled state Senate. Stated.

Hickman admitted Thursday that he heard voicemails.

“I remember exactly where I was when I heard that voicemail. It was chilling. This wasn’t a prank call. and a serious threat to my family,” he said in a statement.

“No one should be subject to this kind of hate,” he added. “If we really want to keep this country great, we will do everything we can to condemn threats to election officials and combat the disinformation that endangers our democracy.”

Rissi left another voicemail in Brnovich’s office on Dec. 8 claiming he was a “victim of a crime” he described as “theft of the 2020 election” and threatening hanging. has been accused of

“I am a victim of crime. My family is a victim of crime. allegedly suggested that it had removed election fraud data from the Maricopa County Oversight Board’s computer systems.

If he is convicted, Rissi could face up to five years in prison for making threatening interstate communications and up to two years in prison for threatening phone charges.

Rissi could not be reached for comment.